LIM KOK WING UNIVERSITY 1st AUGUST

ICOM-GEGAR U seized hold of Lim Kok Wing on the 1st of August. This university with its modern, palatial like setting is well known amongst Malaysians and the whole ICOM unit was eager to head to Lim Kok Wing and see how the bands would fair on the day. This also coincided with a field trip arranged for the Production students at ICOM to observe the processes involved in sound reinforcement and experience the whole event.

...helter-skelter- theme of setup

A total number of 12 students made it as early as 5:30 am to the ICOM campus in Lorong Setapak and headed into the bus, which took them for a 45minute ride to Cyberjaya. Sleepy eyes and lazy limbs was the order of the morn, but once they got there, the momentary excitement got the better of them until unloading was the directive.

...cables, cables, oh boy!


Snake being laid, while students observe Chief engineer setting-up

Stage manager Christina began directing the stage crew aka field trip students to setup the instruments, mic stands & microphones and lay the cables. A few were clueless as to to what to do, but careful duplication of what the other was doing with a bit of recollection of a cabling class, they managed to setup stage.

The stage- a dump


Dump being cleared

To many of the students, it was a rather innocent and blinding experience since it was their first time, but they made sure they didn't receive even an inch of the stage manager's fury (just to make it clear: if ever, any rank in production lose their temper- it's all in good spirit). The stage having been setup and sweat pouring down everyone's brows, the sound of 'makan, makan' must have brought a great relief.

The stage after its make-up was done

The crew had to wait for power since the tech folks at Lim Kok Wing clocked in at their usual time, therefore the crew headed to 'Makan Lah' to have their breakfast while a few were busy extending cables backstage to power-up speakers. Power tapped, line-check began and then a partial soundcheck carried out. Tuning of the monitors were done with Nilesh on stage and Nian Tze on the equalizer trying to find the offending frequency. All this done, the field trip students were hanging around trying not to yawn or fall asleep since they all woke up early that morn.

Unity in fashion...hmm, go, ga-ga!

A fashion show was on the day's menu, therefore the models sashayed down the stage for their mock rehearsal making sure not to step on any ladder's toes or cable's shoe and stage a mighty fall.


Project Rush spreading the message of unity



A Lim Kok Wing performance



...heavy metal thunder



Surely, the queen of the desert!

There was the usual number of bands on the list, a few not making it to the soundcheck, only to come back once the competition began and just plugged and played. The bands that played on the day were of a mixed variety; a instrumental saga that kept everybody on irehooks, a few bands that were average in their performance, a few hipsters (with hood and no bling, bling) literally rapping their way through and actually secured a place in the final. But after having conquered so many universities, the zeal and enthusiasm is present in every university, bands and musicians are eager to win that final grand prize, but on the other hand many bands have a long way to go in terms of delivering a professional musical package to the audience. The theme of unifying in music still persists on nevertheless.

Another Lim Kok Wing band in action


...judges wondering, reflecting, dreaming...oops


...come on boy, you gotta bend now!



...hmm, I like it, I like it!







The finalists with Puan Leela and the PM


The field trip student 'Firdee' (centre) also the star of the day posing with the crew


Project Rush too can strike a pose besides groove...yea Bong, hit that gong!


The field trip crew giving the Gegar-U

...when the day is done!

Another university done, the field trip team exhausted and eager to get back home, hopped onto the Bas Sekolah and waited until KLCC was in view and Jalan Pahang was nearing. The day was good in the end; some had a good time, some weary, others inquisitive, others quiet. One more down in the Gegar-U bucket!